Payment Returns
If your platform has received a Realtime transfer in error, you can use our Realtime Returns API to initiate an outgoing realtime transfer that sends funds back to the originating financial institution that sent the transfer.
When an incoming Realtime transfer return request is received, the status of the original transfer will not be changed, and the return transfer followed its own lifecycle as if it were an ordinary outgoing realtime transfer. See Realtime Notifications and States for more information.
Return Reasons
The return transfer can be sent any time after the original incoming transfer is received. We currently only allow incoming realtime returns for the following reasons:
- The beneficiary account number is invalid
- The beneficiary information in the realtime transfer does not match the corresponding information on the account
- The beneficiary is refusing the realtime transfer
- The beneficiary is reversing the realtime transfer as per the sender's request
Currently, these are the only reasons supported for initiating a realtime reversal. If there is a reason you feel should be supported that is outside the scope of the reasons above please email us at developers@column.com.
Linking the Reversal and Original Transfers to Each Other
The return_pair_transfer_id field of the realtime_transfer object is used to link the original transfer and the reversal transfer as:
**original_transfer.return_pair_transfer_id = reversal_transfer.id
reversal_transfer.return_pair_transfer_id = original_transfer.id**The original_transfer.return_pair_transfer_id will be final once the return_transfer.status is completed and no other reversals on original_transfer will be permitted. Further, another reversal cannot be initiated on original_transfer while return_transfer is in progress. A new reversal can only be initiated if and when return_transfer.status becomes rejected.
Only Incoming Realtime Transfers Can Be Reversed
We currently only support reversals on incoming realtime transfers. If you’d like to recall an outgoing realtime transfer, contact our Payment Operations team at paymentops@column.com.